A Tale of the Immortal Captain Sparrow
by Hildwyn
Summary: It isn’t much, certainly nothing that a royal prince would wear, but it did belong to a prince of sorts a prince among thieves. His name was Captain Jack Sparrow. This, my friends, is a true story.
1. A Story Begins

Title: A Tale of the Immortal Captain Sparrow

Author: Hildwyn

Rating: PG-13 for now, may be less, but it will not go higher.

Notes: Thank you everyone who has reviewed my past POTC fanfics. This will be my first multichaptered POTC story.

This has never come up, I don't expect it to, but if you ever want to archive one of my fics, go ahead, of course just credit me, and tell me where it is going up. :)

Disclaimer: Not mine, not now, not ever.

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Chapter 1: A Story Begins . . .

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Virginia Colony, 1736

'Inn of the Warring Indian'

About thirty miles inland from the Chesapeake Bay lies Littleton, which is, despite its name, an average-sized town, and within its populous and unkempt south section, lays a very popular inn- the Inn of the Warring Indian. It attracted all kinds of clientele- thieves, murderers, speculators, merchants- whatever disputes they may have in the world outside quickly dropped away once they entered the inn.

It was a safe haven, this inn, for those who profited from breaking the law- so long as they broke it elsewhere. And as long as it was brought from elsewhere the local merchants were more than willing to buy pirated and stolen goods, though this practice was becoming less and less common these days.

Every night, like clockwork the children would gather at the entrance of the inn, waiting for the storyteller, as they called him, to emerge from his days spent drowning himself in the local brews.

He had a weathered and creased face, with deep wrinkles, and a snarled mess of what was once hair but was now almost completely white. His clothing seemed to have faired no better in its lifetime, with little tears and holes eaten into the wool cloth by moths, and the boots were caked in mud.

This day was different though, the old man's appearance was the same, but his mood was more somber and subdued- a stark contrast to his normally flamboyant personality. The children, too young to care about more than hearing his stories, were oblivious to this change in their beloved storyteller.

He moved away from the entrance of the inn, taking his customary seat on an old barrel, and once he was seated, the children gathered around him, excitedly begging him to tell them their favorite tales.

"Another story," the man said in a raspy voice, and instantly the children quieted down, "some day I won't always be here to tell you these stories and that won't do."

He looked down seriously at each of them in turn.

"Today I shall do more than tell you a story, I will tell you _how_ to tell one. Now, who among you knows the basics, save the old man here reciting them?"

The children looked down and at each other, none meeting the old man's gaze. They rustled slightly, betraying their ignorance of the art.

"Well, you don't know. Easily fixed. You all know what is good and what isn't when you hear it, so this, this should be easy. I will tale a real tale, of a real man and his life as the basis for this. And so, I will begin."

The man reached into his coat, and produced from an inner hidden pocket an old polished wooden box, with raised inscriptions on its cover. The children reacted immediately, leaning forward so that they may see what it was, or more importantly, what would be inside it.

The old man smiled, and opened the box, but then pulled it closely to him, to hide it from the children's' view.

"Now hold up. There is no need to spoil everything for yourselves. Patience is necessary for any storyteller, so that he can manipulate his audience, ride their emotions like a cresting wave, so that one can be careful of their story. You may not understand this now, but some day you will, you will look back on this story with adult comprehension, and truly understand what I tell you now. Stories are not just whimsical tales of knights and elf folk, or long ago battles. They are about life, and sometimes they take on a life of their own.

"A story like this will do what it will to its audience. Some of you, when you hear it, may wish to retell it- adding in your own bits and style to make it your own, but others . . ." he grinned to reveal a mouth full of teeth made of silver and gold, and a few made of whale bone, "a few brave others will set out on a journey of adventure to see if it is true."

The children started shifting impatiently, the man ramblings before the story was boring them, and they wanted to hear the action and adventure guaranteed in a story told by the old man.

And he smiled knowingly.

"Ah, forgive me, I tend to prattle on now, but rest assured, you will understand one day, but for now . . . now we shall start with our story."

During the last bit of his speech, another person had approached the crowd of children and the old man. The new arrival, barely visible under the cloak he wore, barely deserving of the name with the condition it was in, was careful to tread quietly as he came.

The old man heard the other approach and looked up to see the man, narrowed his eyes slightly, but shrugged and focused his attention back on the children.

The new arrival took a couple more steps forward until he was in earshot of the old man, and then settled himself on the ground, exposing a pair of buckled shoot made of fine soft black leather.

The old man pulled away the box he had been clutching to his chest and reached in to remove something, and then held it aloft for all the children to see.

It was a ring- silver with some tarnish on it, mostly on the inside of the band, and a green stone up on the top.

The children 'ahhed' as they looked upon it, eliciting a chuckle from the old man.

"So you like it do you? It isn't much, not that magnificent, certainly nothing that a royal prince would wear, but it did belong to a prince of sorts- a prince among thieves. His name was Captain Jack Sparrow. Now remember this name well, lads, for never was there a pirate better known than ol' Captain Jack sailing the Spanish Main- the whole ocean. He captained a swift ship by the name of the _Black Pearl_. The most magnificent ship to ever sail any sea.

"I don't know what your parents have told you about pirates- probably that they are nasty, dirty, and smelly people who rob ships at sea and are hung when they are caught, but no- not this Captain Jack. He may have been captured, but never did he hang long enough to die.

"Now Captain Jack shall be our hero. But what every hero needs is a goal. His goal shall be to survive. But that alone wouldn't make an interesting story, we need more. We need a conflict. Now our conflict will be that there are many people out to dispose of Captain Jack Sparrow, the Navy, other pirates, and supernatural ones.

"But right now, Captain Jack is only aware of some of the forces arrayed against him. However, a lone hero cannot stand against the tides of evil, he will need help, and he will need his allies. Though he has a crew, there are no two greater allies to Captain Jack Sparrow than two who live in Port Royal, blissfully unaware that he is about to land on their doorstep. These two are named Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann- soon to be Mrs. Elizabeth Turner, I might add. They met Captain Jack a long time ago, and count him as their friend, and always hoped, secretly to themselves, that he would come for their wedding.

"And now, Jack Sparrow, captain of the _Black Pearl_, stands waiting on their doorstep, knocking on the door, waiting for an answer- any answer at all."

* * *

The sun stood high in the sky, casting no shadows on the people who worked below it, people who were either covered in grime and mumbling about the unfairness of work, or those who did not have to, and who wisely sought shelter in the shade and crude comfort of their homes.

A man of average height donning a white shirt, leather vest, long pants, high boots, and a sash to tie it off, was rather glad that he did have a hat on, a nice tri-cornered hat, which, while it did not cast a lot of shade, cast enough for his tastes. The heat did affect him, you could see the sweat trailing down his face and starting to mix with the kohl around his eyes, but overall he was better at hiding the effects than others.

When he reached a modest home in a middle-class area, he quickly stepped up to the door and knocked. He was in a hurry after all. That and though he did not mind the heat as much as others did, he would have to be a bloody fool to actually welcome it.

He frowned when no one answered, and knocked a couple more times.

"Come on! Let's move in there! I'd very much like to be in there, mate!" He yelled, hoping that it might get the owners scampering.

"Captain Jack Sparrow doesn't like to be kept waiting all day, mate," he said to himself, hoping that the bloody occupants would hurry.

The door opened a fraction.

"About bloody time!" Jack said.

TBC


	2. Weddings and Flights

Title: A Tale of the Immortal Captain Sparrow

Author: Hildwyn

Rating: PG-13 for now, may be less, but it will not go higher.

Notes: Part of the reason this took so long to get up was that I was disappointed with the chapter and constantly reworking it for the plot as well as the spelling and grammar. What I need is a beta, so if anyone is willing to act as one for me on this story- e-mail me or whatnot and I'll be eternally grateful.

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Chapter 2: Weddings and Flights

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The door had opened just enough so that a man could poke his head out and see who disturbed the peace.

"Ah, Will, fine to see you too!" Jack said grinning, "now if you don't mind, it's hot as Hades out here and Norrington is not as forgiving about pirates gallivanting around as he used to be."

"Jack?" Will asked staring at the man.

"Aye, that's me," Jack said, forcing himself to continue to wear his trademark grin.

"Jack?" Will said again.

"Will you bloody well stop repeating yourself, Will? It's bloody annoying," Jack said, finally giving up wearing his forced grin.

"This is not a good time," Will said, turning around and looking inside the door as they both head someone- Elizabeth judging by the pitch of the voice, yelling.

"Will, come back here, now! We are not yet done talking!"

Will turned back to Jack cringing.

"Women, eh?" Jack asked, completely sympathizing with Will and his predicament at that moment. He had far too much experience himself to know where it would lead to next.

"Next thing you know," Jack said with a dismissive wave of his hand, "They are slappin' you about here and there," He narrowed his eyes at Will, "What exactly are you arguing about anyway?"

"People," Will answered, neutrally.

"What people?"

"A person," Will said, evading the question.

"I really don't have time to go around the point, mate. Let's have a straight answer," Jack said just before the door opened all the way to reveal Elizabeth standing next to Will with a startled look on her face.

"Jack?"

"You're doing the same thing as Will already did, love. May I come in now?"

"Of . . . course," Elizabeth said beckoning Jack in.

"We were just talking about you," Elizabeth said with a glare at Will.

"Oh really?" Jack said, _so that's why Will was evading the point_.

"Yes, you among other things. We were about to send out our wedding invitations," She said.

"And did I make the list? I brought gifts," Jack said patting the side of his coat, his mood now improving that he was out of the infernal noon sun.

Will and Elizabeth exchanged looks.

"You _weren't_ going to invite me?" Jack asked with mock indignation.

"We had no way of tracking you down," Will answered, "I was hoping that you might just show up sooner or later and that the time might coincide with our wedding."

Elizabeth shook her head.

"It isn't what you're thinking Jack. Commodore Norrington's captured most of the pirates around, and given that there hasn't been much activity lately, he's been in Port Royal as of late. Your presence and his, here . . . " she sighed, "It just makes things more likely."

"More likely? What do you mean, Miss Elizabeth? I, be captured? Not bloody likely. I'm-"

"Captain Jack Sparrow," Both Elizabeth and Will finished the sentence with Jack, much to Jack's delight.

"You're catching on quickly," Jack said.

"Why don't we all sit down and have something to drink," Elizabeth suggested, "that way we can all catch up on what has been happening."

Will and Jack murmured their agreements, and all headed to their parlor, where they sat down. Elizabeth poured tea for all of them, pointedly ignoring Jack's expression at the choice of drink.

"You have anything else to drink, love?"

"No," Will answered for her, staring at Jack with an exasperated expression. Jack nodded, and acknowledged his defeat. No rum right now, anyway.

"So when is the wedding?" Jack asked taking a sip of the tea. It was not dreadful, but really could have done with a shot of something else in it- rum, whiskey, scotch- Jack was particular, but it really needed that extra kick in it.

"Tomorrow," Elizabeth answered.

Jack raised his eyebrows at them, "And you are just sending out the invitations today? And ye've already moved in with each other? Forgive me, love, but don't you think your sort of rushing here, and not giving enough time for people?"

"We're not rushing, Jack," Will answered, sharing a look with Elizabeth, "We're just making sure that the house is all ready for us to move into."

"Ah-huh," responded, careful to put the correct emphasis on the word to show that did not exactly believe what they were saying.

"Besides," Elizabeth added, "The wedding will be a small private affair, the later we send off the invitations the less time there is for some people to show up."

Jack suddenly leaned back in his chair, looking stricken, "I hope, my dear Elizabeth, that you are not referring to me?"

"Of course she wasn't, Jack. We've been through this already," Will said, placing his cup on the saucer, careful to keep it from making a lot of noise, "We would really like for you to attend Jack, really we would, but maybe there is some way you can attend without . . . without being Captain Jack Sparrow?"

Jack leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbow on the table and bringing his hand up to stroke his mustache. He sat that way for a couple moments in silence, neither Elizabeth nor Will daring to disturb him, content to await an answer.

"I suppose," Jack drawled, "That coming as myself would be a bit dangerous- assuming of course that you invited Norrington?"

"We did," Elizabeth said.

"I'm surprised, mate," Jack said turning to look at Will with a wide grin on his face, "Neither of you seem the type to make up easily with each other."

"Mr. Sparrow, I would not have my husband be on the wrong side of the law," Elizabeth said.

Jack grinned coyly, "Well now that we know who is the power behind the marriage," Elizabeth frowned at Jack, "May I suggest finding a new bride, whelp? One who won't slap ye around in the future?"

Elizabeth's face had acquired a reddish hue- not of embarrassment or anything but a rather lovely shade due to anger. She raised her hand up and it started heading towards Jack. Noticing this Jack quickly moved himself and his chair closer to Will.

"Of course, seeing all the trouble you went to rescue her why don't you keep her," Jack said, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Elizabeth dropping her hand back to the table. He unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

At that moment there came a knocking from the door.

Elizabeth excused herself and peered out the window to try to get a better view of who is was.

"Oh no," she said rushing back to Will and Jack as the knocking continued.

"It's James; you'd both better get out of here. Will you make it to the wedding tomorrow?" She asked hastily moving to the other side of the room and grabbing a letter folded over thrice and handing it to him.

Jack accepted the letter and stuffed it in his pocket, so that it resided with the hidden gift.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he said, glad to see that both Elizabeth and Will smiled at his acceptance.

The knocking intensified, and they could hear someone else's voice out there, "Elizabeth? Elizabeth will you please open the door?"

"Father," Elizabeth whispered before pointing to another room.

"Your father and Norrington, lovely," Jack said sarcastically.

"I'll distract them," Elizabeth said already moving forward to the door.

"Come on," Will said, grabbing Jack and running quietly through the house to the back, "We'll take the window out."

Jack smiled at Will, "Nice to see you finally have remembered how to come up with creative exits."

Will quickly pushed the window open and assisted Jack with stepping up so he could go through it.

"Watch your head," Will warned.

"Will you watch it, whelp? I've been doing things like this since before you were born," Jack said, squeezing himself through the window and popping out on the other side and jumping down. Only a moment later, Will repeated the same action and landed softly on the ground.

"Where to now?" Will asked, letting Jack take the leadership role.

"Our separate ways," Jack said, moving already. The sun had not moved much from before he had entered the house, and he did not fancy staying out in it for long.

He left behind him a bewildered looking Will, but there was no way to help that. Jack had a wedding to attend, and some things to take care of before then.

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TBC

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Thank you everyone, for your kind reviews! They have given me the inspiration to continue with the story, actually to continue posting it, even though it was later than intended. Sorry. :(

Ailidh- Thank you! Here's the next chapter.

WCS Pegasus- Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I very touched that you chose to include this and One Moment Gone Wrong in your C2 community.

Jennifer123- Thank you for the kind words! There is plenty of adventure ahead for Sparrow and Co.


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